Entries by Amy B. Dean

It can be isolating to be a progressive Jew in North Carolina. In a state where just 1 percent of the population identifies as Jewish, it can be tough just to find a religious community, let alone a politically active one. Although older Jews who may have been activists in...

Domestic workers have had some breakthrough wins over the past two weeks. Up until then, these workers were excluded from protections such as a guaranteed minimum wage, paid breaks, and overtime pay. On September 17, the Obama administration announced new rules...

Fast food workers in dozens of cities staged a national day of strikes last Thursday, August 29. The action sought to galvanize public support for a living wage of $15 per hour, and respect for fast food workers' right to organize. Employees...

As host of All In, a weekday prime-time show on MSNBC, Chris Hayes has emerged as one of the most prominent progressive commentators in the country. Still in his 30s, Hayes earned distinction in the 2000s as a labor and political journalist for magazines such as In These...

Cindy Chavez is running for Supervisor District 2 in Santa Clara County. In March, the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors called a special election to fill the vacancy for Supervisor in District Two. The primary will be held June 4th. District 2 covers the downtown of San Jose, east...

The Wall Street Journal's editors called Obama "a president without a plan" after last October's presidential debates. But the pugilists on the WSJ editorial board should know better than to cast the first stone: now that a reelected President Obama has unveiled a plan for rebuilding America's infrastructure...

As I write this, Chicagoans are out in the streets, some prepared to be arrested, in protest of the latest wave of school closings announced earlier this week. The closing of public schools has provoked a major conflict along race and class lines, and is a serious issue for all...

It's way past time to invest in our nation's infrastructure. The obstructionists in the GOP need to get out of the way on this if they cannot propose an alternative. Rather than listening to the more moderate voices of their own party in the Senate who have gone...

Immigration reform is next on the national legislative menu. The good news is that both Republicans and Democrats have vowed to fix our broken immigration system. The bad news is that they are poised to repeat a key mistake of the past: forcing employers to do the work of verifying...

At this moment, various plans to reform America's broken immigration system are working their way through Congressional debate. On Monday, a bipartisan group of eight lawmakers unveiled a plan that includes what they call a "tough but fair" path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. Last Friday, members of...

This was a tumultuous year for working people and their families. From the grassroots uprisings last winter to the low-wage workers' strikes at year's end, 2012 saw many people coming together for the first time and finding their voices. Below are the items that I would highlight as the best...

The Chicago teachers' strike may be over, and Mayor Rahm Emanuel may have replaced the Chicago schools CEO, but the underlying issues that caused the rift between teachers and public schools officials haven't gone away. Because our education system is such a vital public asset, we cannot resolve...

In their attempts to silence the political voice of working people, conservative groups and millionaire donors have been disingenuous and anti-democratic. But you can't say they haven't been persistent.

Proposition 32 -- a so-called "paycheck protection" measure that will appear on California's ballot in November...

In 2008, young people in America -- including many who voted in their first presidential election -- rallied behind a youthful senator from Illinois campaigning on the promise of change and hope. Now the incumbent in the White House, Barack Obama faces a difficult challenge in recapturing the youth vote...

Sometimes, as an activist, you look upon the world and think you will never be able to see the changes you seek in your own lifetime. It's easy to despair, to succumb to the isolation and self-doubt that come from being a thoughtful person trying to change the status quo.

Two newspaper stories from last week said a lot about the state of the inequality debate in America. Last Wednesday, the New York Timesreported on research showing that it is "Harder for Americans to Rise From Lower Rungs." For all the talk of opportunity in our country,...

If labor and other progressive groups are going to rebuild an economy that works for the 99 percent in America, they need to do great organizing in workplaces and communities and they also need to build deep coalitions among themselves. But that's not enough.